Alivia Beckley Mrs. Salaba English 10 Honors 23 January 2023 Audience and Appeals Being arrested for peaceful protesting against racism has happened to many great people, such as Rosa Parks, Gandhi, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. King was a civil rights activist, theologist, and is a great man of history. His most well-known speech, “I have a dream”, is an encouraging and passionate fight for equality which was presented in front of more than 200,000 equality hungry people. His most popular letter, “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, which is directed towards clergymen in defense of fellow civil rights activists, has a stern and prepared attitude towards his audience. In his argumentative letter and his speech, King has different appeals, and different audience which portray different emotions. …show more content…
These clergymen deemed his organized group activities as “unwise and untimely.” (King, 1963). These men, who at the time had higher power over King due to their race, were unwelcoming and racist, which caused King to need firm and calm but strongly expressed arguments. King’s speech, on the other hand, is positive and powerful with a direct audience to speak to instead of a letter. His speech has an optimistic tone towards his audience as he quickly claims his happiness towards the gathering and his certainty of the impact he would make with “…the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.” (King, 1963). It is noticeable that the consumer of King’s work effects his words, while both works are moving and confident, critical clergymen cause his work to have a stern voice and factual evidence, while hopeful people waiting for inspiration cause his work to be relaxed and more relatable for his audience. The audience in both Dr. Kings letter and speech greatly impact the way he articulates his words and the appeals he